Archives

Try looking in the monthly archives.


A Student Spotlight Interview: How did Katie Quijada’s Interest in LGBTQ+ Health Impact LGBTQ+ Youth in Orange County?

#UMNMCH student Katie (she/they, MPH 2024) describes her deployment at the LGBTQ Center Orange County, a nonprofit community organization that provides programming, outreach, and resources to the LGBTQ+ community. They exist so that every segment of the LGBTQ+ population of Orange County has the resources needed to thrive in their own lives and communities. As […]


Student Spotlight: How is Najma Dahir-Abdulla’s Passion for Global Maternal Health Making a Local Impact for Black Families?

#UMNMCH student Najma Dahir-Abdulla (she/her, MPH 2025) describes her deployment at the Innovations for Maternal Health Outcomes in Minnesota (I-MOM) program at the Minnesota Department of Health. As a part of her deployment, she played a key role in managing evaluations for perinatal health improvement initiatives and communicating important maternal health program updates across the […]


Center Student and Faculty Spotlights

Spring 2024 Our graduating Center students-Estefanía and Cassie–in addition to Center faculty members-Dr. Zobeida Bonilla and Sara Benning–were asked a few questions about their backgrounds, work, advice, and other fun facts. Estefanía Henríquez Luthje Tell Us About Yourself! I was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which was my permanent place of residence […]


Student Spotlight: How did Vivian Pham’s Deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Project Influence Her Drive for Health Equity Advocacy?

#UMNMCH student, Vivian Pham (MPH 2024), wrote this reflection on how her deployment with Minnesota PRAMS has contributed to her transformative journey in MCH, shaping her into a steadfast advocate for the well-being of families and children worldwide.  My Journey to the MCH Program at UMN’s School of Public Health My journey to where I […]


Student Spotlight: How did Sara Hildreth’s Interest in Addressing MCH Vaccine Disparities Lead her to Plan and Implement a Successful Immunization Event for Hennepin County Residents?

#UMNMCH student Sara Hildreth (she/her, MPH 2024) reflects on her deployment experience with Hennepin County’s Babytracks and Immulink programs, which seek to address current disparities in infant vaccination rates. Sara helped develop surveys to understand the potential role of doulas in providing vaccine education. She also spearheaded the planning of many community events and clinics […]


Student Spotlight: How has Munira Salad’s Deployment with the 40-Day Project shaped her Perspectives on Maternal Mental Well-being and Postpartum Support?

#UMNMCH student, Munira Salad (MPH 2024, she/her), describes how her passion for community health and engagement introduced her to community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches and deepened her interest in programs focused on underserved communities. In this Student Spotlight, Munira describes her deployment with the 40-Day Project, which aims to improve postpartum mental well-being in the […]


Student Spotlight: How is Estefanía Henríquez Luthje’s MCH Program Experience Inspiring Her Desire to Establish an MCH Center in the Dominican Republic?

Estefanía Henríquez Luthje (she/her, MPH 2024), a Fulbright Foreign Student at #UMNMCH, shares a personal reflection on her background as an M.D. in the Dominican Republic, current experience managing the Health Equity Edition of the National MCH Trainee Blog (MCH Leads), and future hopes to establish a Center for MCH in the Dominican Republic. The […]


Student Spotlight: How did Laurel Cederberg Support an Active Community Coalition Focused on the Mitigation of Inequities in Vision Health in Native American Children and Youth in Minnesota? 

#UMNMCH student Dr. Laurel Cederberg (MPH 2024) wrote this reflection detailing her involvement with the Vision Health Task Force. The task force is dedicated to addressing vision health equity, particularly through their “Little Eyes, Big Eyes” project for Native American children and families in Minnesota. Drawing from her hands-on experience, Laurel conducted an extensive literature […]


Student Spotlight: How did Annie Olson’s Interests in Mental Health and Adolescents Inspire Her Desire for Health Equity?

#UMNMCH student Annie Olson (MPH 2024) wrote this reflection on how her deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health gave her the opportunity to analyze and disseminate information about the health of Minnesota adolescents and contributed to her understanding of mental health equity.  What was your path to the UMN MCH Program? Before coming to […]


Student Spotlight: How Did Tia Joy Peterson’s Interest in Changing Outcomes for Incarcerated Parents and their Children Inspire the Direction of her Master’s Program?

#UMNMCH student Tia Joy Peterson (she/her/hers) wrote this reflection on how her field experience and deployment contributed to her career in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). When I first entered the University of Minnesota (UMN) Master of Public Health specified in MCH, I knew right away that I wanted to concentrate on how to reduce […]


Student Spotlight: How did Mary Kate Leloux’s Deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health’s PRAMS Project provide a foundational experience in public health data collection processes?

#UMNMCH student Mary Kate Leloux (she/her) (MPH 2024) wrote this reflection on how her deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health PRAMS Project and passion for communities has developed her interest in representative public health data.   Path to the UMN MPH in MCH Program  With undergraduate studies in biology and sociology, I was often asked […]


Student Spotlight: How is Ruth Arévalo’s Interest in Health Equity and Storytelling/Data Visualization Inspiring the Direction of Their Masters Program?

#UMNMCH student Ruth Arévalo (they/she) (MPH 2024) wrote this reflection on how their community work, nursing career, and deployment have contributed to their career in Maternal and Child Health.  Path to The UMN MPH MCH Program Before coming to the UMN MPH MCH program, I worked for 10 years in the fast-paced environment of the […]


Student Spotlight: How is Kailee Elizabeth Schaberg working to address intersectional violence among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations?

#UMNMCH student Kailee Elizabeth Schaberg (she/her, they/them) (MPH 2024) shares a personal reflection on their experience as a Domestic Violence Prevention intern (DVPi) at the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis (Center-funded position). “With the current literature, we know AI/AN women disproportionately experience intersectional forms of violence (specifically domestic violence and intimate partner violence) more than […]


Student Spotlight: How did Mollie Kohler’s Deployment with the University of Minnesota’s Extension Center for Family Development Highlight the Connection Between Social Support and Mental Well-being In the Postpartum Period? 

#UMNMCH student Mollie Kohler, she/her (MPH 2023) wrote this reflection on how her experience as a social worker led her to the MCH program and prepared her for a deployment with the UMN Extension Center for Family Development where she worked on a project to improve culturally relevant postpartum social support and maternal well-being. Path […]